State gets New Committee for Environmental Clearance

A shot in the arm 

As the state gets a second committee to accord environmental clearances, the backlog needs to be cleared at the earliest, says Shilpa Sachdev

Bullets

-       All new and pending construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq m coming up in the MMR will need an environment clearance from the newly-formed state level expert appraisal committee  

       As of March 2012, there are 554 cases across the state pending approval

With a view to expedite the approval process, a new panel has been recently formed to grant environmental clearances for construction projects, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Maharashtra already has a state-level expert appraisal committee (SEAC) and this is a second one for the state. The SEAC-I was formed after the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) issued a notification in 2006, making environment clearance mandatory for construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq m in the state. The SEAC II will focus on giving environment clearances for construction projects in the MMR. All new and pending construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq m coming up in the MMR will need an environment clearance from this newly-formed committee of the state environment department. 

Currently, more than 500 proposals are still awaiting clearance. According to Rajat Malhotra, COO - Integrated Facilities Management (West Asia) Jones Lang LaSalle India, a separate body to fast-track the projects located in the MMR will help in clearing the backlog. He explains, “State statistics indicate that 50% of the projects requiring clearances in Maharashtra are located in MMR, specifically Thane, Raigad and Mumbai City. About 55% of the pending proposals from Feb 2011 to March 2012 are in MMR. The percentage of pending MMR projects from April 2012 to July 2012 is also about the same. This clearly indicates the need to focus on projects in the region.”


Real estate, especially the residential segment, which caters to the basic need of housing continues to be the most adversely affected sector feels Manju Yagnik, Vice Chairperson, Nahar Group. She says, “Ever since its formation in 2006, SEAC I has been going through the appraisal process for every project proposal including that from the real estate sector in the state before sending its recommendations to SEIAA, the authority which takes the final decision on either issuing or rejecting the environmental clearance. With hoards of applications being received from every industry segment, inordinate delays were inevitable. Reportedly, over 540 proposals are currently awaiting clearance from SEAC I.” 

Other than the developers, project delays also affect the end home buyers who have invested huge sums of money for buying their own homes. Besides dipping into their savings, home buyers who avail of loan facilities either from their employers or banking or housing finance institutions for house purchase, have to start paying EMIs from prescribed dates. Delays in issuing such clearances result in late completion of the projects with serious consequences for buyers. 
  
Yagnik says, “This situation is avoidable if a process for speedy environment clearances for realty projects in Mumbai is introduced. Perhaps formation of SEAC II may bring some relief. No doubt that today all concerned including developers, home-buyers and people at large, are more than keen to protect environment in every possible manner.” 


Malhotra adds, “Inordinate delays lead to erosion of investor and consumer confidence and demands for cancellations and refunds. Environment clearance is an essential pre-requisite for all developments above 20,000 sq.mts. Projects that are able to get the clearance can commit capital to project implementation with the risk securely mitigated.  This bolsters the developer’s, investor’s and consumer’s confidence to commit resource and capital to the development, which will in effect ensure speedy and earnest developmental activity.”


Experts hope that with the introduction of the new committee, many pending projects will soon see the light of the day and benefit the end consumer. Vyomesh Shah, MD, Hubtown Ltd. says, “The issues here require a specific approach and we are glad that such a committee has been formed. It will bring down the clearance time due to its focused approach and also benefit the consumers by increasing the number of launches and hence creating more supply. This will help in stabilising the prices and make the equation favourable for consumers.” 

Yagnik feels that with the formation of SEAC II, which will exclusive look into new as well as pending projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the load will be divided to a great extent. She says, “With such clear demarcation, both the committees would hopefully be in a position to speed up this process.”

Avers a Lodha Spokesperson, “We believe that the formation of the second committee on environmental clearance is a progressive step by the state environmental department, given a large number of projects across the state pending environmental clearance. As of March 2012, there are 554 cases across the state pending approval. Over half of these projects belong to the MMR region. As the new committee will primarily focus on the MMR region, we see a fairly even split of projects across the two committees, which is likely to speed up the approval process in MMR.”

Ali Lokhandwala, Joint MD, Lokhandwala Infrastructure says, “If approvals are received in time, banks approve the projects for funding faster and buyers can get home loans quicker. It is lesser risk for the buyer and also helpful for the developer who has to run to different committees for approvals. In fact, what we need is single window clearance but even a focused committee is going to be helpful. It hints at a professional approach on the part of the government. Ideally, the committee should also have a developer on board to track the real industry issues and growth.”

Yagnik also feels that the question of applying the same set of norms for environment clearance to every project in every state remains to be addressed. She says, “It’s quite known that every location, region and state in the country has different challenges on the environmental front.  For example, Mumbai with its geographical peculiarities, constraints, its long coast line, burgeoning population and the ever-increasing housing demand, needs to be looked at with a different perspective on environmental issues. Enforcing the standard environment norms for the city’s huge coastal properties, high-rise buildings both for residential and commercial purposes, affordable housing, redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings and slums and bigger outlay projects have already stalled many of such projects in the city. Many among these projects are required to fulfill a much larger set of norms, causing further delays in receiving clearances.”


Calling for a set of guidelines rather than a committee, Prakash Shah, Director – Finance and Business Development, Hiranandani Constructions rightly concludes, “We already have a state level committee and it has been observed that committees take their own sweet time in granting clearances. This chokes up the supply and creates obstacles in generating enough affordable housing stock in the country. What we need are concrete guidelines for granting environmental clearances. We need systems that will foster fast decision making. We need to be in a position to generate good supply of housing and it needs to be affordable. We are not against formation of a committee, what is important is that at the end of the day work needs to be done.”

Mughal Art

Treasure troves

Give your home décor a touch of Mughal art, says Shilpa Sachdev

Everything in the Mughal era can be defined in one word – grand! The carpentry, the styling, the motifs that belong to the Mughal era reflect India’s heritage and glorious past. Even in the modern times, the legacy continues as many designers are drawing inspiration from the Mughal architecture and infusing it intelligently into the contemporary home décor. 

Simple pieces of furniture can be completely transformed with an inlay of gemstones or a continuous stretch of carving and jali work to make it look different and unique. Instead of the bulky designs of the past, the contemporary designs can be accentuated with the right touch of the Mughal motifs. For example, a lampshade can be painted with a Mughal design in bright colours, the chair can have star-shaped handles or the rich velvety purple upholstery for the side stool, there are umpteen ways to blend the Mughal motifs within the contemporary home décor. For someone who wants to add richness, the furniture can be given an inlay of design – one can choose from gold, silver to even different colours; add a few gemstones to up the royal quotient.

Every piece of furniture is crafted in the Mughal pop collection launched by designer Mozez Singh has a distinct story behind it. The designer has given a modern and contemporary twist to the tradition and heritage of India. Mozez has taken Mughal motifs like the star, the crescent moon, the jail work and blended them into contemporary furniture pieces. The utilitarian furniture pieces are made in various delightful colours of acrylic and jeweled with fabulous semi precious stones. This evokes a style more like pop art, but at the same time, the gems add a richness and luster. So there is a Noorjehan recliner, a peacock throne and many interesting pieces of furniture all done up in the Mughal motifs and colours, reminiscent of the royal era of the Mughals.

Talking about the beauty of Mughal designs, Mozez says, “The Mughals left us a treasure trove of beauty. All of their architecture, their art, and their motifs are a testament to their beauty – the jali work, inlay, the gemstones, the domes and the carvings, everything is very stunning.”

The beauty of the Mughal designs lie in the intricacy of the work. If one is using marble in the house, that can be further, engraved with carvings and inlay, especially in the flooring. Traditional lamps are making a huge comeback, with their stained glass exteriors. Hang them loose from a height, light up a candle in it and simply let it glow. However, instead of overpowering the house with traditional designs that may not work in the new age, it is a wise choice to select the right piece of accessory and blend it in the contemporary home décor and bring the best of both worlds to the table.

Thane Area Scan

Consistent growth

Genuine demand is driving the residential property market in Thane, says Shilpa Sachdev

Thane, also known as the city of lakes, has emerged as a preferred residential location in the recent years.  The city is flanked by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and is surrounded by Yeoor and Parsik hills. Once an industrial hub, the city has completely changed in nature. Most industries have now turned into high rises. 

Pic courtesy: Hiranandani Constructions

Shveta Jain, Director – Residential Services, Cushman & Wakefield says, “Thane has witnessed phenomenal growth. The city has expanded towards Ghodbunder road which has seen a number of new launches in the recent past. With commercial office spaces also coming up in the city, growth prospects look good. The city is expected to grow in the coming years and is preferred by both investors and end-users alike.”

The social infrastructure has seen a great transformation in Thane. A number of renowned educational institutions, multi-specialty hospitals, malls and entertainment zones have come up in the city in the past few years and the number is expected to grow. Thane has a number of schools and colleges such as St John High school, Smt Sulochanadevi Singhania High school and many others. Lodha World School also has a center in Thane. Jupiter and Bethany both private multispecialty hospitals are present in Thane. There are five malls in Thane including the relatively new Korum mall, which further adds to the overall social infrastructure of the city.  In fact, Hiranandani Estate and Hiranandani Meadows have become two full-fledged township projects in Thane having their own school, hospital and shopping complexes. The commercial growth, especially from the IT sector, is also influencing the demand for residential property.

A Kalpataru spokesperson says, “Thane is emerging as one of the fastest developing districts with lots of malls and corporate companies establishing their business practices in the city. Global leaders in IT are vying for space in Thane to set up their offices and the trend is shifting of offices mainly in IT and ITes industry to Thane, thus giving rise to concept of ‘walk to work’ culture. The presence of Ghodbunder road, located at few meters from our residential projects, Kalpataru Hills and Siddhachal Elite, connects the city with central and western suburbs of Mumbai city. Wide roads, sprawling mega-housing projects, malls and multiplexes, healthcare centres, lakes and an enviable view of the Yeoor Hills have added to Thane’s USP, making it preferable destination for living.”

Infrastructure facilities have improved with the construction of SATIS (Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme) and multiple flyovers being constructed over the Ghodbunder road. This has improved the quality of living in the city. Jain adds, “Thane is well connected to the eastern suburbs by the eastern express highway and to the western suburbs by Ghodbunder road. The city also has connectivity to Navi Mumbai by both trains and roads. With the huge growth in population, the Thane Municipal Corporation has taken steps to improve the overall infrastructure. Flyovers on Ghodbunder road will reduce the overall strain on vehicular movement.”

Prakash Shah, Director - Finance and Business Development, Hiranandani Constructions says, “Infrastructure in Thane is fantastic. The place has wide roads facilitating connectivity to the western suburbs in 20 minutes via the Ghodbunder road. The place has lots of greenery and many lakes to its credit. Three new flyovers are under construction which will connect the Ghodbunder road to the eastern expressway. The train connectivity to central line is in place that takes 45 minutes to reach VT station. Thane is one of the most affordable residential locations that makes it an ideal place to live and work. Also, a lot of commercial development is happening in the neighbouring areas like Airoli and Thane itself that is adding to its changing profile.

Ghodbunder road has grown into an important extension of Thane city as most new launches are coming up here. Om Ahuja, CEO - Residential Services, Jones Lang LaSalle India says, “Thane is well-developed, and represents a city in itself – a city with its own character and economic drivers, including large businesses that drive the demand for residential properties. The manufacturing sector, especially along Ghodbunder Road, plays a big role in keeping the residential property sector lively. Also, the accelerated activity in residential property development has caused an upsurge in malls and entertainment complexes, which further influence demand. Generally speaking, Thane is in the process of gaining equal desirability status with areas like Malad and Goregaon.”

With the growing real estate and infrastructure development in Thane, the city has something to offer to all the segments of the home buyer’s right from budget homes to mid-range homes to high end luxury homes. Shailesh Puranik, Managing Director, Puranik Builders Pvt. Ltd says, “The luxurious lifestyle, the connectivity, the infrastructure and its affordability are the various factors due to which home buyers across the spectrum have chosen Thane as their favoured residential destination. Our project Rumah Bali is strategically located at Ghodbunder road which is well connected to the Eastern Express Highway and the Western Express Highway. It is in close proximity with the schools, colleges, hospitals and shopping centers.”

Puranik adds, “Widening and construction of roads and flyovers has made Thane city more accessible, internally and externally. This kind of planned infrastructure will definitely support the increasing population and the growth of this city.”

Due to presence of various projects in different range, the property rates in this city, range between Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 psf, depending on the location, quality of construction, size of the flat, & amenities provided. 

Thane offers a great living destination to the home seeker. A number of lakes, a growing number of malls, more and more new projects getting launched and a reasonable price bracket, has made Thane a very attractive residential location. 

A Kalpataru spokesperson says, “With limited scope for expansion of Mumbai city, its neighbouring cities like Thane are been favoured largely for accommodating the rising needs of home buyers. Also, the cost of living in Thane is relatively lower than the suburbs of Greater Mumbai.”

According to Ahuja, the long-term future for property in Thane is excellent. He says, “While this area remains among the more affordable ones around Mumbai, there will be a steady rise in rates as development catches up with the planning and existing supply is absorbed by buyers.”

The upcoming infrastructure around Thane such as additional airport at Navi Mumbai, extension of the Metro and mono rail network in the Thane city is likely to contribute to the appreciation of the property rates in the future. Puranik concludes, “We also see the new corridor of Thane-Navi Mumbai and Pune emerging out of the proposed infrastructure development. As a result, an investment made now in Thane is sure to give handsome returns to the investor in the next few years.”

VJ Andy's home

Tranquil space

Minimalist in design, VJ Andy’s home exudes an earthy vibe, says Shilpa Sachdev

An established choreographer, a budding actor and a well known VJ, Andy aka Anand Kumar is a versatile personality. However, Andy has chosen to keep his home, a bachelor’s pad, simple and minimalist. The home is contemporary, comfortable, tranquil and an organised space, which feels welcoming and has a calming effect. Andy has ensured that the home is well decorated with right accents without letting any element over-power the other.

A rich shade of cream is the central colour of the house. The decor of the living room is modern and contemporary but minimalist. A wall has been painted olive green to add a punch of colour. Andy says, “The mood of the home focuses on relaxation and re-energising. Green represents serenity thus inviting calm and peaceful vibes and brings a flow of energy. I always try to avoid clutter and keep my surroundings clean and spacious. Clutter adds a lot of negativity and a feeling of being crowded. I like clean open spaces which are a luxury in Mumbai so I do what I can in my own space to reflect the effect of flowing space and ambience.” 

The comfortable sofa that rests on the olive green wall is grey in colour to strike a contrast. The TV unit is not over-the-top at all; in fact it is just an L-shaped wooden plank, which sits perfectly right. Low-seated in style, the TV unit is accentuated with a serene Buddha idol at one far end. The extended portion of the TV unit also acts as a partition between the living and the dining area. 

The dining area on the other side of the TV unit contains a compact four-seater dining table set. While olive green dominates the living area of the house, the dining area retains the rich cream colour, which also makes it stand apart from the living area. A dainty crystal chandelier is hung over the dining space to give it both light and an aesthetic touch. A chest of drawers sits right opposite to the dining table perfectly exhibiting the knick knacks collected by Andy over time. “The dining space is a very important part of my house; it the place where conversations take place. As for the chandelier, it is both functional and decorative as for me the sense of sight plays a huge part when enjoying food,” Andy explains.

Andy was insistent on a writing table so a study table has been provided in one of the quaint corners of the house. Designed in a heritage style, the study table made of wood is ethnic and minimalist at the same time. Adorned with a vertically standing mirror and a yellow table lamp, the space is non-fussy and makes for a peaceful study corner, ideal for Andy to indulge in some thinking for the shows.

The master bedroom has been done up very tastefully. It may be small in size but it has been well-conceptualised. The colour scheme of the room hovers between cream and brown. As a result, the bed is made up of dark wood with an ethnic print used for the headboard that adds drama to the room. The most interesting part about the bed is that it is lit up from below flushing the room with light when put on. Lights have also been provided in the form of two lamps sitting on both the ends of the headboard, while two black and white paintings sit in the middle, making the décor look even more interesting and different from the usual.

The house has a huge balcony that has been painted deep blue. A bunch of floral beauties and foliage plants occupy the balcony adding a dose of freshness to the décor. Andy shares, “The balcony brings the outside in, and breaks the claustrophobia of the four walls. I've used blue colour on the wall for this particular shade reminds me of the ink blue sky at twilight, and I associate this to magic. The painting is a depiction of Mumbai City, a work of art by artist Ram Indraneel Kamanth.”

Apart from the balcony, Andy has also used plants inside the house by placing them in different corners for visual interest. So an ethnic style stool lies next to the dining area with a small bunch of bamboo standing tall. A bouquet of fresh flowers in the living room and a potted plant next to the dining table are a few more patches of verdant greenery in the house.

While the house is small and simple, it creates moments of visual arrest. Andy has also ensured that it is well-accessorised in the right balance. So there are some contemporary shelves lined up on the wall in the passage leading to the living room and a small fish tank that adds more life to the décor. Plants, figurines and black and white paintings are some ways used to highlight spaces and corners in the house. A picture wall in the passageway gives the home a nice personal touch.

The house is devoid of extensive furniture and not profusely stuffed, which leaves a lot of breathing space. The intelligent use of colour, the ethnic motifs in design, the contemporary style of décor and a tinge of greenery only results in a space that looks peaceful and ethereal. For someone like Andy who has a creative bent of mind, the house he has put together is a cozy den to come back to – a serene retreat indeed. As he rightly concludes, “After my hectic schedule when I enter my home, the wave of serenity perfectly rejuvenates me for the next day at work.”